Bone-marrow units’ duplication deplored

Press, 18 April 1979, Page 2

Bone-marrow units’ duplication deplored

Two bone-marrow transplant units in New Zealand represent "an unnecessary and expensive duplication,” the North Canterbury Hospi- : tai Board’s institutions cpm- : mittee was told yesterday, , A committee member (Dr , W. J. Pryor) said that it ' was wrong to have facilities for the rare operation in Auckland and Christchurch, in view of the small number of. patients. A bone-marrow transplant operation was performed at. Christchurch Hospital on i April 7, the first there .for I several years. The same operation was performed at j Auckland Hospital earlier I this month. The board’s chairman (Mr T. C. Grigg) said that one I unit would be best, but this; depended on a study by a bone marrow transplants committee. Mr Grigg said that when the performing of transplants. in New Zealand was first considered, the Auckland and North Canterbury hospital boards met to discuss the matter. The question of which should have the unit then went to the Hospitals Advisory Council. A report js expected from (he transplants committee in June or July. The Acting Medical Super-intendent-in-Chief (Dr R. A. Fairgray) said that it was not unreasonable for the - transplants to be performed

lat Christchurch Hospital iwhile the committee made up its mind. The iNorth Canterbury board was not prepared to wait, he said. An early decision from the transplants committee will be sought. Plans are almost complete for a reorganised courier service, which it is hoped will save the board thousands of dollars annually. Under the new service, radio-telephones will be installed in several board vehicles, an extra clerk will be employed, and overtime will be worked by some of the board’s drivers, at ah annual cost of $26,000. The board’s senior administration officer (Mr .1. A. Wright) said that more than $26,000 would be saved; at present it cost the board about $150,000 a year to use taxis to carry patients and equipment. Mr Wright said that taxis were often used while Hospital Board vehicles remained idle. Individual hospitals would have to order their transport requirements through a central point to control the new system. The committee accepted a recommendation that the board assume responsibility for the “Meals on Wheels” service in: Rangiora. The Assistant Medical Superin-tendent-in-Chief (Dr Margaret Guthrie) said that the service was at “crisis point.” She recommended that 30 elderly persons be provided, with meals from the June-|

I tion Hotel, at a cost of $1.35 ■ each, five days a week. .. i Dr Fairgray said that the t cost to the board would be about $lO,OOO a year, but he ' said that a service only I three days a week was “not on.” The service will be rei viewed in six months.